Auxiliary slide support for machine tools



Aug. 7, 1928.

J. A. CRAIG AUXILIARY SLIDE SUPPORT FOR MACHINE TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 26, 192'! 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. CRAIG AUXILIARY SLIDE SUPPORT FOR MACHINE TOOLS Filed Jan. 26, 1927 llll'llllll I l l l llllllllllllllli Aug. 7, 1928.

l of the slide in order that the tools may clear overhang generally allows a certain amount.

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

aaMEsA. CRAIG, or EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WARNER & SWASEY COMBAN Y, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUXILIARY SLIDE SUPPORTFOR MACHINE JLOOLS.

Application filed January 26, 1927. Serial No. 163,585.

' This invention relates to machine tools, such as turret lathes and thelike, and has particular reference to lathes employing a tool holding slide which at times is required to overhang or project forwardly beyond t 116 1151151]. slide support, generally a saddle carried by the bed. Then the slide overhangs the support a considerable distance, as is sometimes the case when the nature of the work requires both long and short tools which necessitates a long return movement the work to allow indexing ofthe turret, the

of play or give which, if not eliminated,'re- 'sults in inaccurate or unsatisfactory work.

The object of the present invention is to avoid this objectionby providing an aux 1 iliary slide support which can be positioned on the bed in advance'ofthe main slide sup- 1 port, the auxiliarysupport embodying meanswhereby the slide engaging surfaces may be adjusted preferably both-vertically and laterally so thatthe slide may properly engage the same and have theproper, slide supporting function.

The invention maybe briefly summarized as consisting in certaln novel details of construction and comblnations and arrangeclaims. 1 I

In the accompanying sheets'of drawings.

ments of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended illustrating anembodiment ofmy invention very satisfactorily, -F1g. 1

this view being a view'of thesame; Fig.3is an endview ,of

' -iliary support the auxiliary slide support with the ways of the. bed and *tional view substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig: 5 is avsectional view substantially along the line:5 5 of Fig.3; andFig.

6 isa plan view of theloweradjustable member of thezauxiliary slide support.

" sents: the bed of the lathe havinga head stock 11 supporting 'a rotary the saddle either by power or manually, and

in this instance l have shown means con certain portions of the auxin section; Fig. 4 is a secmember 23 is composed.

sisting of a so-called turnstile 15 for mov- ,ing the slide back and forth. The saddle is common construct-ion and further illustration and description thereof are unnecessary.

Coming now to the part directly involving the present invention, it will be observed that Ihave provided on the ways 16 of the bed an auxiliary slide support 18 which, like the saddle, may be moved lengthwise of the ways and clamped in position.

I Inasmuch as the auxiliary slide support is at, times unnecessary and can be removed from the bed, and as it is adapted to be used on any one of a number of machines, I have embodied in this auxilia-ry support a number of adjustable features, preferably including means for adustmg the slide engaging surfaces of the support both as to height and laterally, so

.. that the support and particularly the way engaging portions thereof may be properly positioned so that the support may function in the intended manner. 1

By reference to Figs. S te .6, it will be observed that the auxiliary slide support comprises a main member 19 which. when viewed fromthe end as in Fig. 3, is substantially shaped. This member 19 has at opposite sides downwardly extending portions 19 which extend over and engagethe outer surfaces of the ways 16 ofthe bed. On the lowersides of these portions are clamps 20 which canbe tightened and loosened by screws 21 and are adapted to engaac the under side of the ways16 of the bed. Screws 22 extend laterally through these portions l9 'and are adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the ways to clamp the support in place on the ways after the clamps 20 have been'tightened.

. i The auxiliary slide support 18 includes. in Y Referring. now to the drawings,.10 repre- H y lmember 23 which in plan is substantially H- work .holding. spinding 12. esup-ported by the bed, and inaddition'to the mainfmember 19. a second shaped, as will be noted from Fig. 6. This of two parallel portions 23 and a connecting web portion 23 The portions 23 rest upon the ways 16 of the bed, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and constitute a-support for the main body-member and for the purpose of bringing about this 1 19. The web portion 23' extends crosswise of the bed and lies between two downwardly ext-ending front and rear side portions 19" gage the ways of the bed. This constriction admits of vertical adjustment of the slide engaging portions of the auxiliary support,

adjustment, the downwardly extending portions 19 of the member 19 are provided with set screws 24 which engage opposite sides of the web portion 23 of the lower member 23, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. j r

The upper member 19 of the auxiliary slide support is provided at the top with ways forming slide engaging surfaces. These ways or slide engaging surfaces includehorizontal surfaces 19 machined on the body member 19. Additionally, they include lateral or side surfaces formed on'laterally adjustable gibs 25 and also top surfaces formed by clamps 26 which are normally held by screws 27 down against the gibs25 and against top surfaces formed on upwardly projecting side portions'19 of the body member 19, these side portions being just outside of the gibs 25.

The gibs 25 are laterally adjustable so as to adjust laterally the ways of the auxiliary slide support, i. e., the portions of the ways which are engaged by the sides of the way engaging portions of the slide.

adjusted position, the arrangement shown in F 1g. 5 1s preferably employed. This ineludes for each gib a series of set screws 28 and a series of screws 29. j The set screws 28 extend through the upstanding portion 19 of the member 19 and bear against the outer side of the gib whereas the screws 29 pass through the same portion 19 of the member 19 and engage in tapped holes extending through the gib. Q

With these screws 28 and 29, which are preferably arranged in a horizontal row and a are alternatedas illustrated in Fig. 5,it is possible to laterally adjust the gib either in or out and to thenhold the gib against lateral movement in either direction, and it is a possible since the screws are distributed along or lengthwiseof the gib to adjust the gib not only laterally but angularly to line up the gib with reference to, axis or movement of the slide, and thus compensate for a To adjust these gibs laterally and to hold them in any misalignmentof the auxiliary slide, support on the bed. In this connection it might be 7 stated that the provision ofcan adjustment of this. character does away with the necessity of accurately positioning the auxiliary slide supporton thebed with reference to lateral alignment. That is to say, it can be applied. and-clamped in position irrespective of lateral alignment requirements, after which-both lateral and angular adjustments of the gibs 25 can. be made to obtain perfect sliding engagement between the auxiliary support and the support engaging portions of the slide; Of course, before the gibis" adjusted the corresponding top clamp is loosened and after it has been adjusted to the right position and locked in that position the clamp 26 is again tightened.

' It will be seen, therefore, that the slide 'engagingsurfaces of the auxiliary slidesupport can be adjusted vertically by adjusting the set screw s24, this causingarelative adjustment of the engaging'taperedgsurfaces of the members 19 and 28. a It also will be seen that thenecessary lateral adjustment can be given to the slide engaging surfaces or to the portlons thereof which engage the sldes of the way engaging portions of the slide by laterally adjusting-the gibs 25. By

these adjustments it is possible to place the auxiliary support .on zthebed'of the lathe whenever the auxiliarysupport is needed to support the portion of the slide which overhangs the mainsupport, and. the slide eI1 gaging surfaces of the auxiliary slidesupport can very readily be lined up. with the slide so that the slide will properlyfengage the auxiliary slide support and will'be sup ported thereon in the desiredand intended manner.

While I have shown the preferred con-- struction, :I do not desire to be confined'to the precise details illustrated in' so' far as the auxiliarysupportis concerned. "Furthermore, while I haveshown the auxiliary support applied to a particular kind of machine toohi. e.,- aturret'lathe, it maybe used to advantage onother types of machine tools, and while the main slide support is'in this instancein the form ofa saddle which is movablelengthwise of the bed on the main ways there0f, I do not regard itessent ial to theinvention that an adjustable saddle be employed as the main support for, the slide, though this arrangement is generally used." I, therefore, aimwin my claims "to cover all modificationswhich do not involve a departure from thespirit and scope ofmy inventionin its broadest aspects. I r i -Having thus described my a invention, I

claim 1. In a machine tool, a bed having a slide support, a slide movable thereon, and an auxiliary slide support carried by the bed, saidauxiliary support comprising upper and lower members relatively adjustable to vary the height of slide engaging surfaces and i also having means for laterally adjusting the slide engaging surfaces.

2. In a machine tool, a bed having a slide support, a slide movable thereon, and an auxiliary slide support comprising upper and lower members relatively adjustable to vary the height of slide engaging surfaces and members for adjusting laterally the slide engaging surfaces.

3. In a machine tool, a bed having a slide support, a. slide movable thereon, and an auxiliary slide support, said auxiliary support comprising upper and lower members adjustable relatively to vary the height of slide engaging surfaces, the upper member 'having means for adjusting laterally the .slide engaging surfaces.

faces, the upper member carrying the means for adjusting laterally the slide engaging surfaces.

5. In a machine tool, a bed having a slide support, a slide movable thereon, and an auxiliary slide support, said auxiliary support comprising upper and lower members relatively adjustable lengthwise of the bed and members adjustable laterally of the bed to vary the height and lateral position of slide engaging surfaces.

6. In a machine tool, a bed having a slide support, a slide movable thereon, an auxiliary support on the bed for the slide, said auxiliary support having inner members adjustable laterally, and means for adjusting said members comprising adjusting screws passing, through the support, part having their ends abutting against the said members and part having threaded engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature.

JAMES A. CRAIG. 

